In our small barrio we have met some of the most wonderful people. People we will stay connected with throughout the remainder of our lives. We have developed true friendships – the kind where they just pop up at your house to hang out – no invitation needed. We had friends like that in the states (and we miss them like crazy!), but here it has been more difficult to find heart friends. Why? At first we didn’t know Spanish well, so that was an obvious barrier. I also think being here as “missionaries” put a flashing light above our heads. It’s unfortunate, but many missionaries will enter a place and try to convince people they need to become more like them. i.e. wear certain clothes and don’t wear others, fix your hair a certain way, do this, but don’t do that. We have always had the mentality that God would change the things that need changed and we are going to live a transparent, authentic life.
Some of our new friends live just a few houses away. Robert and Cody both have a love for fishing and he was the first one to invite Cody to hunt lobsters at night with a water pistol. Swimming with crocodiles and/or sharks at night would freak me out, but not Cody. I love my manly man. As you may or may not know, I also love to fish. One of the many things that Cody loved about me when we first met. Haha! Many women don’t fish and I don’t enjoy being the “only female” so I usually stay behind. Luckily, Robert’s wife Rudy is a fisherwoman. So, as couples (with our small daughters) we get to hang out and fish every once in a while. Then we usually have a big dinner and enjoy the day’s catch.
- Kyah and Ester ready to roll.
We took the boat down a back river that comes off the ocean. These trees lined both sides of almost the entire thing.
One of Cody's fish.
Robert cleaning some of the fish. We caught 11 that day!
FINALLY getting to swim!
